At 97, vet's WWII story is his favorite to tell

Sunrise Senior Living is filled with incredible stories. Stories of love and stories of war, like the story of Frank Lozito.

Frank, a retired Air Force officer, is a Purple Heart recipient. The 97-year-old joined the Air Force as a young man, so afraid of flying he "tossed up his breakfast" his first time in flight. But he was soon in the depths of World War II on bomber missions over axis territories.

On August 10, 1944 he was sent on a mission over Ploesti, Romania, targeting oil refineries that supplied much of Germany's fuel. When his plane was shot down, he had to parachute out over Yugoslavia. With a broken ankle and separated from his crew, Frank managed to escape enemy gunfire and find refuge with local partisans.

The U.S. declared him M.I.A. for two months, but Frank never giving up hope, and was finally rescued after his caretakers were able to make contact with Americans. His ankle never healed properly, but he was honored with a Purple Heart Medal, given to those injured in combat.

Frank's story is a treasure, and one he loves to tell. In the halls of retirement communities everywhere, there are more treasured stories of heroes like Frank - just waiting to be heard.